Car Trouble?
by Nielle
Summary: Sara and Nick are both having trouble with their cars. Coincidence? I think not. NS COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1 Conspiracy Theory

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, I don't own CSI nor the characters associated with that show. However, I do own this nifty CSI bumper sticker that my friend gave me, I guess that's good enough for now.

Car Trouble?

It was a dank and extremely wet day. The rain poured down in fortified cascades, drenching any unfortunate person who happened to be outside in a matter of seconds. Sara Sidle was absolutely exhausted after a strenuous double shift with Grissom. Her nerves were in shreds and so was her sanity. Thank God it was time for her to go home. Sara imagined a nice hot shower and her favorite forensic textbooks...and maybe a beer. Heavenly. She peeked through the sliding glass doors in front of her and muttered obscenities under her breath. A double shift, uncooperative suspects, aloof Grissom, and now THIS? Plus she didn't have an umbrella. Just wonderful. She gauged the distance from the door to her Tahoe, and decided to make a run for it. Purse in hand and a newspaper on her head, she dashed out the door.

The rain was colder than it looked. She shivered and ran faster. _Just a bit more..._ she mumbled as she approached her car. She circled around the to the driver's side and reached into her purse for the...Oh crap! There were the keys, glinting innocently from _inside_ the car, still hanging from the ignition. At this point, her last nerve snapped with alarming strength. She could almost **swear** that she had her keys this morning! Almost beside herself with rage, she pounced onto her car and began kicking and banging it in total frustration. She was cold, wet, without transportation, could it get any worse? Suddenly, the car alarm went off. _Shit! _She mentally screamed. The annoying Wheeeeeeee of her car alarm tore across the nearly empty parking lot. Sara cringed, she definitely felt a migraine coming on. She gave her car one last vicious kick, and gave up the ghost. She collapsed into a puddle and simply sat in front of her car, not caring how stupid she looked. No way was she going back to the lab. Some irrational and clearly deranged part of her mind reasoned that if she sat there long enough, a solution would come to her. And so it did.

"Sara? Is that you there?" Nick trotted up to her Tahoe holding a bright red umbrella and carrying something over his other arm.

"Hey Nicky." She responded flatly. Nick glanced at her appearance with a slightly bemused expression on his face. Her newspaper had been reduced to a pile of pulp on her head and bits of it were sticking to her clothes and on her face. She strongly resembled a drowned rat, an extremely beautiful, desirable drowned rat. Not that he would ever tell her about that last part.

"Why are you sittin' in a puddle? Are you hurt?" Nick was very concerned, she sorta looked drunk. He sincerely hoped it wasn't anything serious.

"I locked my keys in the car. Third time this week. I give up, I'll just sleep in the parking lot, I don't care." Sara stared straight ahead of her, her face stoic. Nick laughed in relief, _thank God it wasn't anything life threatening. _He thought to himself.

"That's nothing Sara, I can take care of that!" Nick beamed down on her and offered her a hand. Sara accepted the proffered hand gratefully and hoisted herself up from the asphalt.

"Really Nick? What are you, one of those Triple A guys in disguise?" She teased, feeling slightly warmer now that Nick was here.

"Naw, my Dad taught me this trick..." He trailed off, as he slipped an coat hanger from under his arm. He gave the umbrella to Sara and slipped the coathanger into the crack between the window glass and the rubber insulation. He jiggled it around and yanked it upward.. The lock clicked open, and Sara let out a long breath. Grinning, Nick reached into the car and pulled out her keys. Sara plucked them from his fingers and turned of the irksome alarm. Her headache had abated a bit. She always did seem to feel better around Nick. She always wondered about that. Sara smiled her extra wide, gap toothed smile, and said sweetly,

"I owe you one Nicky." Nick looked pleased with himself and smiled back.

"Anytime Sara, anytime." Sara looked at Nick's coat hanger oddly and asked,

"Do you carry a coat hanger around with you where ever you go or something?" Nick chuckled and gestured to the bag draped on his arm.

"And you call yourself a CSI. I had a court appearance today, this is my suit. Lucky for you, the dry cleaners gave me a wire hanger this time."

"Oh." Sara felt a little foolish. She glanced down at her soaked clothes and cleared her throat a bit. Nick took the hint.

"Um, I'll just be heading to my car now, I'll see you later!" Sara nodded mutely and started to climb into her car. Nick walked slowly to his car, parked only a few paces from Sara's. He contemplated asking her out now, but decided against it. He wanted the moment to be just right, not when Sara was irritable and embarrassed. As he got closer to the car, he saw that something was wrong. One of the tires looked a bit...lower than the others. Rushing over, he nudged it with his foot. The thick rubber gave against his toe. Cursing, he made a split second decision. He sprinted toward Sara's now mobile car, just as it was pulling out the parking lot.

"Sara!" He bellowed. She stopped the car almost immediately and rolled down her window.

"Nick! What's wrong?" She looked panicked, as if he was having a heart attack or something.

"Can you believe it? I've got a flat! I would really appreciate if you'd-"

"Of course Nick! You're right on the way anyway. Hop in." Nick clambered into her car and shut the door gratefully. A few feet away, hidden behind trees, Catherine and Warrick gave each other a high five. Both looking extremely satisfied at the outcome of Sara and Nick's "car trouble", they strode to their respective vehicles with a glint in their eyes.


	2. Chapter 2 Next Course of Action

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI or characters associated with it, but I've still got that bumper sticker.

**Author's Note:** It's a bit short, but the next chapter will be longer,I didn't have a whole lot of time today. But hardcore CSI fans _make _time for their stories, and that's what I'll do! Heehee.

**

* * *

**

**Car Trouble?**

Sara had been astonished to see Nick bounding toward her car. She slammed on the brakes and rolled down her window. Sara was even more surprised to learn of his apparent flat tire, she could see the deflated wheel even from her position. _Weird_. She thought. _Guess Nick and I are just having bad luck today. _Naturally, she agreed to give Nick a ride, and he gratefully climbed into her car. Sara felt a little thrill of excitement that Nick was sitting so close to her. Their legs were mere inches apart. She drove off with shaky hands. Sara blamed it on the cold weather, but she knew that the person sitting next to her had something to do with it.

Nick was slouched in his seat, debating with himself. His heart and his brain were having a furious argument and Nick was caught in the middle.

"Reveal your newfound romantic feelings!" cried his heart.

"No, it'll scare her off!" countered his brain.

"Ask her out!"

"No! Don't!" Nick was going crazy. He struggled to keep his composure, not knowing that Sara was having her own internal battle. _He looks so cute when he's deep in thought._ Sara blinked rapidly and almost smacked herself. _Wait, what!_ _She thought he was cute?_ This was certainly a new development. Unconsciously she rattled off her favorite of his attributes. _Nice smile, nice muscles, great personality..._ She moaned inwardly. _It sounds like one of those online dating ads!_ A blush was creeping onto her face. She mustered all her strength and willed her treacherous body to remain calm. She couldn't wait until they got to Nick's house, she needed some distance from him.

After what seemed like hours, they finally arrived at Nick's apartment complex, she almost gasped in relief, but managed to restrain herself. Nick hopped out and flashed Sara a wide grin, waving good-bye as she pealed out of his driveway. Sara was ready to go home, she had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

Meanwhile, Warrick and Catherine were nearly cackling with glee as they drove together to the closest bar. They had to plan the next course of action. Stealing Sara's keys had been relatively simple. Catherine had staged a longish conversation with Sara in the locker room. Warrick, who had been hiding in the shadows, crept up and snatched the keys directly out of Sara's open locker and retreated into a storage closet. Catherine had barely been able to keep a straight face, finally running out of the locker room claiming she was having a coughing fit. Sara had been extremely bewildered and just a bit suspicious. During break, Catherine crept out to the parking lot andunlocked Sara's car. She stuck the keys in the ignition and shut the door,whichlocked with a satisfiying clack. Mission accomplished. Looking very much like a child with their hand caught in the cookie jar, she had glanced around nervously for signs ofSara and ran back into the lab. 

Nick's "flat" had been harder to plan. They both knew that Sara would be working with Grissom that day. Thankfully, she would be riding in Grissom's car. Nick however, still needed transportation to his crime scenes. After much discussion, they finally agreed to take a risk. The puncture would be made while Nick was helping Sara with her car. That gave Warrick and Catherine a good five minutes to flatten Nick's front tire. With the help of two very sharp box cutters, and two pairs of eager hands, the plan went off without a hitch. The air whooshed out of the tire while Warrick and Catherine dashed into a clump of nearby trees to observe the results of their handiwork.

Catherine and Warrick strode into the bar, jubilant with their success. They seated themselves and couldn't resist another high five. Catherine was the first to speak.

"My God, that was so perfect!" Warrick laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Good thing Nick had that hanger! I only remembered at the last minute that he wouldn't be able to get into Sara's car either. That would've sucked." Catherine smirked, looking extremely smug.

"Oh, I took care of **that**! Warrick raised an inquiring eyebrow in surprise.

"You did?"

"Uh, huh. I slipped a wire coat hanger into Nick's suit bag. Switched it with the wooden one. I heard him bragging about how he could open a car door in under one minute with one of those things, so I remembered."

"Aw Cath! Smooth!" Warrick gushed appreciatively.

"Damn straight! How about getting me a beer?" Warrick gave her a mock bow and returned shortly with two bottles of Budweiser. They toasted each other and laughed uproariously.

"Sooooo..." Catherine began, "Now what do we do?" Warrick grinned and leaned over, whispering into her ear. Catherine's eyed widened.

"Oooooo! That's good! Very, very good!" Warrick beamed, but then looked hesitant.

"Well, to pull it off, I think we're gonna need..."

* * *

Please review, can't improve if I don't get feedback! 


	3. Chapter 3 A New Recruit

Disclaimer: I still don't own CSI, But I'll have season 4 on DVD in a week! Yay!

* * *

"_Well, to pull it off, I think we're gonna need..."_

"GREG!" Catherine and Warrick yelled in unison. Greg wrinkled his brow and rolled over to the stereo, turning it down. The last strains of Marilyn Manson faded away as he regarded Catherine and Warrick curiously.

"You rang?" He replied. Shift had been over for 20 minutes, half of which had been spent trying to get Greg's attention. Catherine was exasperated.

"God, Greg! Are you deaf! Never mind, don't answer that." Greg smirked and folded his arms. Warrick spoke up.

"Greg, you know how you said one of your relatives was in the plumbing business-"

"Why Warrick, as a matter of fact-"

"Shut up Greg, let Warrick finish." Catherine cut in.

"Touchy, touchy." Warrick rolled his eyes and continued.

"What do you know about plumbing Greg? Do you think you would be able to shut off the water supply to only one apartment without disturbing the entire complex?"

"That's a cinch!" squeaked Greg. "What's going on though?" Catherine and Warrick grinned and dragged Greg in between them.

"We'll explain on the way."

* * *

An hour later, Warrick and Greg, laden with plumbingequipment and a spare key to Sara's apartment, were climbing the five flights of stairs to room 4B. When they finally made it, Warrick fumbled with the key as Greg panted next to him. Greg dropped the toolbox on the floor and asked haltingly.

"Where'd...you...get...that..key...?" Warrick looked over at Greg and laughed out loud.

"Someone's outta shape." Greg gave him his best glare, but ended up coughing. Warrick continued.

"Actually, Cath gave it to me. Sara asked Cath to water her plants when she went up to Pahrump, and Cath still had the key. Lucky for us." Greg sighed as Warrick swung the door open and dragged the tool box in.

"I dunno how I feel about setting up _my_ woman with Nick..." He muttered. Warrick gave him a death-stare. Greg huffed and remarked,

"Can I take one of her panties? As a souvenir?"

"Greg! You perverted little-"

"Yeesh, Warrick! I was just kidding!" Greg held up both hands in a gesture of innocence. Warrick looked up at the ceiling and motioned towards the bathroom.

"Just take care of the plumbing Sanders."

"Righto." Warrick paced around the apartment as Greg clanked and banged under Sara's bathroom sink. Greg's muffled voice came out from under the pipes.

"Rick man, how do we know Sara isn't just gonna show up any minute?" Warrick smiled and replied.

"Catherine's got it taken care of. She took Sara out to breakfast. Gives us about two hours, no problem." Greg relaxed and stretched his lanky frame more comfortably under the sink. An hour later, Greg emerged from his position beneath the sink covered in grime and with a red nose. Warrick doubled over with laughter, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Greggo, what the hell happened to your nose man?" Greg scowled and gestured to the tool box.

"Dropped the wrench on my face, hurts like-" Warrick's cell phone rang, interrupting Greg. Warrick picked it up. His face became panicked as he gestured to Greg to clean up his tools.

"That was Cath! Sara's back!" He hissed, "We gotta get outta here NOW!" Greg cradled the tools under his arms and sprinted for all he was worth. Warrick followed, closing the door as quietly as possible.

"Aw man, Warrick! Where do we go?" Greg was panicking and turning around in circles, he could hear footsteps going up the stairs. Warrick looked around frantically.

"There!" he whispered, pointing to an open door. They both ducked in and slammed the door shut. It closed with an ominous clack.

"Uh Rick?" Greg asked warily trying the doorknob.

"What?"

"I think the door locks from the outside." Warrick scrunched up his face. _Damn. _

* * *

Sara walked down the hallway to her room, her feet hitting the carpeting with a sloshing sound. It had rained AGAIN,and she still couldn't find her umbrella. Breakfast with Catherine had been fun, but she was still emotionally and physically tired from the night before. That night, Sara had laid in bed restlessly thinking about Nick. She was also tired of Catherine's slew of questions regarding her love life. All throughout breakfast she was hinting that a new boyfriend was in the cards for Miss Sara Sidle. Sara had merely snorted into her waffles, but in the corner of her mind, she was still thinking of Nick. With a sigh, Sara drew out her keys and walked through the door. Her apartment was sparsely furnished, but still tasteful. It was painted in muted plum and beige with comfortable overstuffed furniture strategically placed in each room.

She walked purposefully into the living room and flipped on the lights. After throwing her purse and jacket on the kitchen counter, she went to the bathroom to take a hot shower. Her aching muscles demanded one. Sara pulled the plastic curtain to one side and turned the dial on the shower. She frowned.There was the hissing of water, but no water was coming out! _Oh, this is just what I needed._ She tried all the knobs on her faucet and then ran to the kitchen. No water there either. She ran back to the bathroom, still no water. Tears were welling up behind Sara's eyes, this was just too much.

"UUUGGHHH!" She screamed. She crouched in front of her bathtub, wondering what to do. She could just wait until tomorrow and call in a plumber...but she REALLY needed a shower. There was only one solution. Sara ran to her phone and dialed Catherine's number. It rang twice before Catherine picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Cath? It's Sara."

"Hi!"

"Look, I know this is really short notice and all, but...I don't have any water at my apartment...and I was wondering if I could stay at your place while it was getting fixed...?"

"Oh, Sara, I'm sorry hun. Lindsey's grandparents are here, and there just isn't any room! Is there anybody else you could ask?" Catherine could barely conceal the smile in her voice.

"Um, no actually."

"Well, what about Nick?" Catherine was getting excited now, she was positively giddy.

"Uh Nick? Do you think he'd be ok with that?" Sara was feeling rather hopeful.

"Of course Sara! Nick's such a nice guy, he wouldn't mind. Just give him a call."

"Ok, thanks Cath, I'll do that."

"Bye Sara." Catherine hung up with the biggest grin plastered on her face. _And phase two of **Nick/Sara Budding Relationship **was underway. _She picked up her cell and called Warrick. _This calls for celebration!_

"Bye." said Sara. She hung up and immediately dialed Nick's number. It rang once, twice, three times...

"Hello?" answered Nick.

* * *

Dum, dum, dum...TBC 


	4. Chapter 4 Embarrassing Predicament

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI and characters associated with that show. Can't wait for my DVD though!

Author's Note : Hehe, sorry about the cliff hanger, but that's just how my inspiration works; I hit a climax and then shut down until my creativity can "recharge" Hope this chapter is to everyone's satisfaction! Thanks to anyone who reviewed, feedback is cool.

* * *

_"Hello?"_

"Um, Nick!"

"Sara?"

"Yeah, It's me, Sara Sidle." Sara was really nervous, and she could sense herself beginning to babble incoherently. Nick was extremely amused with Sara's apparent uneasiness, but he could feel butterflies...no... **buffalos** trampling around in his stomach. He licked his lips and attempted to clear his rapidly constricting throat.

"Hehe, I knew it was you, I always recognize your pretty voice." Sara calmed down a bit at his charming words, but ended up getting tongue tied anyway.

"Yeah, um, I was wondering, since I don't have water, if I could use your water. No! I mean my apartment doesn't have water because of the plumbing, and I need to take a shower, and I wanted to ask if I could use your shower, as in crash, at your place...um..." Sara was ready to just shoot herself, this conversation didn't even constitute real conversation! She was speaking an alien language, and Nick was laughing at her. _Kill me now. _

Nick was rather confused, but also excited. Unless he heard wrong, which unfortunately was extremely possible, Sara had asked if she could crash at his place! _This opened up so many possibilities...NO. _He berated himself. _Be a gentleman. _He was still engrossed in his thoughts when he heard Sara meekly calling his name.

"Nick...uh...are you still there?" Sara had never been so embarrassed in her life. _He probably hung up because I sound like I'm drunk...I am such an idiot. _Nick recovered quickly.

"Yeah! I'm here, um, I would definitely welcome you to crash for a couple of days. No problem." Nick tried to keep himself from sounding overly eager, which was difficult.

"Really?"Sara squealed. Nick was surprised and gratified to hear how happy she was, maybe their relationship was advancing.

"When are you coming over? You can bring some stuff now if you want, I'll make up the guest bedroom for you."

"Ok. Great! I'll be right over!"

"See you soon Sara."

"Bye Nick." Sara hung up with the dopiest smile glued on her face. She glanced at the clock, and then ran to pack up some clothes. In under five minutes, she was ready and hurtled out the door and down the five flights of stairs to her Tahoe.

* * *

Nick hung up with a 10,000 million quadrillion mega watt smile. He hadn't felt this happy in, well, never! He had about a half an hour to make his home seem presentable. Normally, he was a neat guy, but yesterday, he'd been thinking about Sara... He snatched up about three or four beer bottles and hurled them out his window into the dumpster, now was not the time to worry about recycling. He grabbed a can of grapefruit scented Oust and frantically sprayed vast clouds of it in every room. _Ahhh, citrus fresh. _Then he pulled out a spare set of sheets and a nice pillow case to ready the guest room. Truth be told, he'd never used them before. He had seen the set in the store and immediately thought of Sara; and he bought them on the off chance that she might use them...at his place. This was certainly his lucky day. The lilac and beige flowers always made him think of her. As a matter of fact, almost everything these days made him think of Sara. He'd just slipped the pillowcase on when he heard the doorbell. _She's early._ He jogged up to the door and swung it open to see a pleasantly flushed Sara clutching a worn duffle bag. Nick drew her into the room and began to ramble.

"Sara, I just got the guest room set for you! And I got you another loofah for the shower, and there's a bottle of shampoo that I think you'd like, it's strawberry scented and..." Sara giggled a bit and remarked.

"Nicky! I'm only here for a couple of days at the most, you didn't have to do all of that!"

"Now Sara, I want you to be as comfortable as possible here."

"You're sweet Nicky." Nick blushed at her sincere words and rubbed his neck bashfully.

"So, you can take a shower now. And then I thought I'd make dinner for you. Maybe some salmon? I've got a couple of salmon steaks in the freezer." Sara who was already in the bathroom and shouted.

"Sounds good Nick." She turned the knobs on the shower and purred as the hot water came down.

Nick was puttering around the kitchen pulling out ingredients. He figured they could cook together, kind of romantic. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but didn't she look just as excited to see him as he was to see her? He could hear the sound of the shower thrumming, and thoughts of "naked Sara" suddenly invaded his mind. He walked out of the kitchen and sat on the couch, trying to lower his heart rate. Nick tried to convey a measure of nonchalance, but he was almost sure his face was as red as a beet. _Aw man, I'm acting like I'm sixteen and Sara's my first prom date!_ Nick turned his head as he heard the door to the bathroom open. Shower fresh, Sara stepped out in a form fitting cotton tee shirt, flannel pajama pants, and yellow fuzzy slippers. She grinned and walked over to the couch, plopping herself down next to Nick. She smelled like strawberries. Nick grinned and pointed to her feet. "What's with the slippers?" Sara blushed.

"What? You don't like them?"

"Naw, they're the cutest thing I've ever seen you wear." Sara blushed redder then before.

"Alright cowboy, enough of charming the ladies, I'm starving." Nick stood up and motioned to the kitchen.

"Ok, we're gonna cook then."

"We?" Sara smirked up at him. Nick offered her a hand and pulled her from the couch.

"Let's get started."

* * *

Things were looking up for Sara and Nick, but alas, poor Warrick and Greg were still locked in the mysterious little room.

"Ow, that was my foot Warrick!"

"Stay on your side goddamnit!"

"Someone's grouchy."

"I'm stuck in a tiny enclosed space with YOU Greg! How the hell am I supposed to feel?"

"Got any ideas?" Greg muttered darkly.

"We could try to break it down again, but I think my shoulder's shot."

"Well, my shoulder's about as strong as a toothpick, I probably broke it on that last charge..." Greg rambled. Then, Warrick's cell phone rang .

"Brown." Warrick picked up and heard Catherine's excited voice erupting from the other end.

"Warrick! It worked! I'm sure this is gonna work! Sara called me..."

"Catherine..."

"...and then I told her to call Nick..."

"Catherine..."

"...and then she said she would, and she sounded really happy. So then..."

"CATHERINE!"

"What?" Catherine was not pleased to be interrupted. "Where are you and Greg anyways?"

"We're locked in some kind of closet in the hallway."

"What?" Catherine wasn't sure she heard right.

"Look Catherine, I don't feel like explaining now. Can you just come over and get us out? It's like, five feet from Sara's room."

"Well, I have to pick up Lindsey from a friend's house, can you guys hang on for another half hour?"

"Not much of a choice."

"Ok then, stay right there!"

"Haha, very funny." Warrick hung up with a sigh, at least help was on the way. Fifteen minutes passed by very slowly. Greg managed to scrounge up a game of Hangman (drawn on a gum wrapper) and challenged Warrick to at least ten Thumb Wars. They were in the middle of a particularly fierce Thumb War when they thought they heard footsteps. Greg withdrew his thumb and hissed.

"Psst, Warrick, someone's coming, it must be Catherine!"

"Hold on Greg, let's make sure first. I think there's a hole at the top of the door, do you think you can take a peek through here?"

"You're gonna have to give me a boost."

"Fine, if it's not Cath, we can hide in those boxes. We look like burglars. Last thing I want today is to get arrested." Warrick held out both hands and let Greg step onto them.

"See anything Greg?"

"Bit higher..bit more...I can almost...AHHHHHHHH!" Warrick lost his balance and a precariously positioned Greg came tumbling down on top of him. At that moment, the janitor flung the door open. His mouth was wide in shock as he observed Greg and Warrick entangled in what appeared to be a very intimate embrace. Warrick looked up and blanched.

"It's not what it seems..."

"Uhhhh..." For once, Greg was rendered speechless. The janitor looked away pointedly, and covered his eyes with a gnarled hand.

"Eh, look, I just need to get my mop. Then I'll uh, give you guys some privacy. But you do know there's a very nice hotel just a few blocks from here..." Warrick really wanted to die, right then and there. All of a sudden, he saw a pair on high heels appear next to the janitor's brown loafers. Catherine was standing there, leaning against a doorframe, laughing her innards out.

"Ha! Oh my God...haha...you guys look so cute...haha...together...!" Catherine was crimson in the face. Greg scowled and attempted to give her the finger, but only found himself slipping closer to Warrick's face. The janitor looked from Catherine, to Warrick, to Greg, and then shook his head. He quickly snatched the mop and ambled away mumbling about how the media was affecting young people these days. Greg scrambled up and staggered out of the closet. Warrick winced and sat up slowly. Catherine's eyes were still shining with barely suppressed laughter, and she motioned towards the stairs

"C'mon boys, I owe you a meal. And you can tell me all about how you and Greg got together..." Warrick and Greg followed her sulkily and refused to meet each other's eyes.

* * *

TBC... 


	5. Chapter 5 A Flaming Fish

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or characters associated with CSI. Wish I did though...

Author's Note: Hehe, so how about that last chapter huh? A new coupling perhaps? Warrick/Greg? Just kidding. Ok, so chapter 5, enjoy.

* * *

Sara shuffled to the kitchen in her fuzzy yellow slippers, hand still encircled by Nick's.

"What should I do?" She asked eagerly. Sara very rarely cooked, and preparing a meal with Nick seemed liked a very novel and fun idea.

"Well, I was thinking we'd have a salad, so you can cut up those tomatoes, and the head of lettuce, and I'll fry up the salmon." Nick finished, donning a frilly floral apron. Sara almost dropped the knife she was holding. She clutched at her stomach and chortled.

"Nice apron."

"My mom sent it, she knows I love to cook."

"Isn't it a little...pink?"

"I'm comfortable in my masculinity, and it's kinda sexy, don't you think?" He raised an eyebrow and clenched his biceps. Sara laughed even harder at their flirtatious banter. She reached out and tugged on a piece of lace.

"Yeah, real sexy..." They both smirked and returned to their tasks. Sara finished chopping in record time and turned to where Nick was positioned in front of the stove. He was expertly poking and flipping the tender fish steaks. She stepped next to him and asked eagerly, "Can I try it?" Nick flashed her a wide accomodating smile. He finished frying up the first steak and dropped it onto a plate.

"Here, you can do the next one." He went into a cupboard and drew out another apron for her. It was a bright orange and boasted the words "Kiss The Cook" Sara laughed when she saw it and good naturedly slipped it on. She approached the stove and waited for Nick's instructions.

"Ok Sara. First, pour in a bit of olive oil...yeah...that's enough, just right."

"Now I put in the fish right?"

"Yup, just slide it on the pan, don't drop it, or the oil's gonna fly everywhere."

"Ok."

"So now we wait a bit, until the bottom's crispy. Then we'll flip it."

"Alright." They waited in companionable silence, Sara occasionally prodding the fish with her spatula. Nick spoke up after about three minutes.

"Ok, now you can flip it."

"Uh...I think you can do this part Nicky."

"Naw, hold on, I'll help you a bit." He reached our and rested his hand on top of Sara's. Unconsciously, his body rested up against her backside. In almost a whisper, he told her to slide the spatula under very gently, and just tilt it so it turns over... He guided her with a gentle hand. Sara was hardly listening, she could feel Nick pressed up against her, and her face was suddenly getting very hot. She was thankful that the stove was there, that way she had a excuse as to why she was blushing so damn hard. His hand still grasped hers, even though the fish had been perfectly flipped. She turned around and faced him.

"Well, that wasn't so bad." Her voice was a tad husky. Nick braced his left hand against the counter top, his other had come to rest at the small of Sara's back. They were both a little out of breath, and it certainly wasn't from the cooking. Nick looked down at her and remarked,

"See what your apron says?" He smiled and pulled her a bit closer.

"Kiss The Cook...hmmm, sounds like an order to me. How are you at following orders Mr. Stokes?" Sara had let go of her inhibitions and welcomed her heart taking command. She gave herself over to the flirting and was ready to see where it all went. Plus, she really wanted Nick to kiss her.

"Pretty good." He murmured as he leaned in. Nick gazed at Sara's face; a little flushed, eyes shiny, lips so soft, and very, very close...

"Whoa! Fish on fire!" Sara shrieked. Nick's head snapped up.

"Huh?" Nick asked, releasing Sara.

"The fish is on fire!" Sara repeated with a frantic gesture to the salmon, which indeed, was on fire. Flames licked the surface of the now blackened salmon and scorched the edge of the cupboards.

"Crap." Nick mumbled, and grabbed a large metal pot lid. He slammed it on top of the frying pan, and the flames extinguished. However, their "moment" had also been effectively extinguished.

Sara looked a little sheepish, and moved away from Nick. The moment she stepped away, she missed his body heat. _That was moving a bit fast_. Her heart had already retreated into the innner recesses of her body, and her brain had regained control. Sara really wasn't sure anymore if she could handle a full blown relationship with Nick, of all people. Her friend and partner. _It would be really awkward at work._ Her brain reminded her. Insecurities flooded her mind. _Why would he want me? I'm a workaholic, I'm not monumentally attractive, I have a bad temper, I have a bad past..._ Her self deprecating reverie was interrupted when Nick waved a hand in front of her face.

"Hello? Sara? You in there?" He teased. Sara shoved her ugly thoughts from her head and managed a smile. She reached for the plates and silverware and walked to the table.

"I'll set the table." She declared. Nick had been a little hurt by her sudden distance from him, but he reminded himself; _not too fast with Sara, have to make sure she's comfortable. _He strode to the fridge and pulled out another salmon steak.

"I'll fry this one up, it'll just take me a sec." Sara flashed him a weak grin and returned to her thoughts. _Where are we going to go with this?

* * *

_

Warrick and Greg had refused to speak to each on the entire ride to the diner. Catherine was gushing about the success of their plan and hardly even noticed how they avoided each other's gaze. Both were still flushed a delicate pink. When they finally pulled into the parking lot of the diner, Warrick and Greg popped out of the car and stood far apart, waiting for Catherine. She eyed them shrewdly and remarked,

"You both are definitely idiots for locking yourself in that closet, but you have to admit, it was REALLY funny!" Greg scowled.

"Easy for you to say, you didn't get caught "having intimate relations" **with Warrick** by the** janitor!** I'm scarred for life!"

"What about me?" growled Warrick. "That was the most humiliating that has EVER happened to me." Catherine rolled her eyes.

"Get over it boys, we have more important things to dwell on." Warrick and Greg eyed each other warily, and then nodded to Catherine.

"Fine." said Greg, "But for the next plan, I'm either working solo, or with Cath." Warrick grinned.

"Amen."

* * *

Catherine threw her arms around the two disgruntled CSIs and walked into the diner. They sat down in a comfy booth and each ordered coffee; excitement and anticipation of events to come had dulled their appetites. Greg, completely over the episode with Warrick rubbed his hands excitedly.

"Now what?" He leaned in, staring at Warrick and Catherine expectantly. Catherine smirked.

"Well, Warrick came up with the first two steps of the plan, so now it's definitely my turn. And I've got the perfect idea." Greg was intrigued, feeling a bit mischievous he asked innocently,

"Does it involve Sara taking her clothes off?" Greg drew his hands to his face in defense as Warrick shook his fist at him. Catherine was laughing hard. _Man, these two are a riot! _Warrick glowered at him and turned to Catherine, curiosity overriding the urge to hit Greg. Catherine leaned forward.

"Ok, so the next part of the plan involves some investigative work from you two. I need you two to ask, **subtly**" she stared pointedly at Greg "How their relationship is progressing." Greg and Warrick nodded, motioning her to continue.

"I'm not really worried about Nick, he is totally hung up on Sara. But she can get a bit tricky, you know how insecure she is. So I want to make sure Sara is comfortable with Nick before we enact "The Big Plan". It's going to be awesome." Catherine finished with eyes sparkling. Greg bounced up and down on his seat.

"What's the Big Plan?" He inquired. Catherine put on a sly smile and said cooly,

"That's for me to know, and you to know once you've gotten me my information." Greg grinned enthusiastically, but then looked concerned.

"Wait Cath, wouldn't it make more sense for _you_ to talk to Sara? I mean, Sara gets really annoyed by me sometimes...all the time, and you're like...a woman and everything."

"Great observation Greg, it's obvious that criminology is your calling." Warrick stated sarcastically. Greg narrowed his eyes at him.

"Haha, soooooo witty..." Catherine blew out a long breath and tried to ignore their bickering.

"Well Greggo, I think she's getting a little suspicious about me. I may have over did the questions at breakfast...I'm sure you'll find out something, even if she doesn't say anything, just look at her mood, her body language. It's easy, and no making out with Warrick necessary."

"Hey!" Warrick butted in. Greg gave Warrick a slow wink and slid an arm around him.

"Hey Brown Sugar." Greg purred "Do I turn you on?" Greg ducked as Warrick swatted him with a menu.

"You make me sick Sanders!"

"I knew you loved me Warrick." Greg teased, batting his eyelashes. Warrick mimed vomiting into his coffee cup, and chucked a creamer at him. Catherine snickered and stood up.

"Ok children, let's get to work."

* * *

TBC - What's the Big Plan? Even I don't know... :) 


	6. Chapter 6 Toothfairies and Strawberries

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI and characters created for that show. But now I've got the season 4 DVD, YESSSS.

* * *

Dinner had been somewhat uneventful. Although Nick had noticed Sara's sudden coolness, he didn't mention it to her. They had pleasant conversation, and laughed about the "flaming salmon". After Sara did the dishes, at her insistence, Nick proposed that they watch a movie, he'd gotten a few new DVDs that they could choose from. Sara chose a horror movie entitled "Darkness Falls". She half- heartedly hoped that it would be scary enough to make her have to clutch Nick, so she'd have another excuse to touch him. She instantly felt guilty for the not-so-pure thoughts she'd been having about Nick. _Was it just chemistry, or something more? _They settled down comfortably with a couple of beers; Nick sitting with his back against the armrest, and Sara leaning against his chest. Expecting at least some level of scariness, they didn'tpredict that they'd be laughing throughout the whole movie. But that's exactly what happened. 

"Geez Nick! The "Toothfairy" is supposed to be some horrific monster? Who comes up with these stories anyway?" Sara was chuckling. Nick was still laughing heartily at the movie's feeble attempts at visual effects.

"Haha...when she's flying...haha...you can see the wires!" Nick grabbed his stomach as he cackled. Sara walked to the DVD player and popped it out.

"Let's watch the discovery channel, I heard there's a special about whales...

* * *

An hour later, both Nick and Sara had fallen asleep. The mating habits of male Humpback whales was just a bit on the boring side. Nick was sprawled over two thirds of the couch, with a hand wrapped possessively around Sara's middle. His hand also had the dual purpose of holding her off the floor, considering only half of her was on the couch. Her head rested on Nick's legs, and the rest of her was hanging over the edge of the couch. Nick stirred in his sleep, his dreams had suddenly smelled of strawberries. He yawned and tried to sit up. It was then that he noticed Sara lying on top of his legs. _No wonder my legs are numb. _He thought with amusement. He slowly extracted himself from under her and headed for the bathroom. Nick still had to take a shower, hopefully, when he was finished she would still be asleep, he didn't want to wake her up. Her face was peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful in repose. He smiled when he heard her snore a bit. As he pushed the bathroom door shut, the smell of strawberries overwhelmed him. God, he could smell her **everywhere**. He turned on the hot water and immersed himself under the relaxing spray.

* * *

A few minutes later, he was feeling mellow and refreshed. Sara was still sleeping half on and half off the couch. He sighed and walked over to where she was sleeping. He nudged her a bit, he didn't want her to sleep on the couch the whole night anyway. She stirred and grumbled something. He poked her in the ribs, and still asleep, she swatted at him. Nick sighed again and picked her up, as easily as a flower, and carried her to the guest bedroom. He tucked her under the sheets and bent down to plant a tentative kiss on her forehead. She suddenly grabbed Nick's hand. "Stay." She murmured. Nick tried to dislodge his hand, but she held it in a viselike grip. Nick grinned contentedly and lay down next to her. _I'll just stay a few minutes. _He told himself. Before he even knew it, he'd fallen deeply asleep, with Sara clasped tightly to his side.

* * *

Sara awoke to the sound of the alarm clock. She checked the time; still had an hour before shift started. Good. She sat up and realized Nick had his hand around her waist, he had snuggled up closer to her during the night. Her face flushed. _That's why I felt so warm last night... _

Nick grunted a bit and sat up, rubbing his eyes slowly.

"Morning Sara."

"Hey Nicky. Sleep well?"

"Yup, and I'm sure you did too, wouldn't even wake up with half of you falling off the couch."

"Wait, how did I get to the bed then?" Sara was puzzled. She hadn't been sleepwalking had she? And then the most important question came up. Why was Nick sleeping in the same bed? Her mind hadn't even registered it when she first woke up, but her mind was definitely awake now.

"Oh, I carried you. No big deal. You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you, and I doubt I could've done that anyway. You sleep like a rock." Sara snickered a bit at this comment. "And when I got you to the bed, I just...lay down for a second. I was really tired, and I guess I fell asleep. Are you angry?" Sara shook her head and got up. Nick withdrew his arm quickly, realizing that his hand had strayed to her slightly exposed abdomen.

"Uh, you can have the bathroom first Sara. I'll get breakfast." Nick offered. Sara smiled a bit sheepishly.

"Nick, you've been doing too much. You really don't have too..."

"But I want to." Nick stared at her with soft eyes. Sara averted her face at the tender gaze, not missing the hurt expression on Nick's face. She felt bad, but had already begun her emotional retreat back into her "Sara shell". She plucked her toothbrush from her bag and headed to the bathroom. Nick followed her with his eyes and huffed in frustration. _Am I doing something wrong?

* * *

_

Nick and Sara arrived to shift ten minutes early, but Warrick, Catherine, and Greg had gotten there way ahead of them. They had to review the game plan. Warrick would be in charge of extracting information from Nick, which would be easy considering how open Nick was about Sara. Greg had the slightly harder task of decoding Sara's cryptic signals. The three of them watched Sara and Nick interact in the break room after assignments had been handed out. They looked amicable and very relaxed around one another. A good sign. Sara walked over to the coffee machine and grabbed a mugful, sniffing it cautiously. Thankfully, it was Greg's Blue Hawaiian, a real treat. Nick left the break room when Warrick appeared in the doorway, they had a breaking and entering to take care of, fairly straightforward. He waved to Sara and sauntered out. Sara gave a small wave and returned to her coffee. Greg took this opportunity to approach Sara.

"Hey Sara."

"Hi Greg." Sara was in a great mood, especially thankful to Greg for sharing his unparalleled coffee with the rest of the team. Greg noticed how happy she was and perked up a bit. He still had a crush on her, but even a blind person could see that Nick and Sara were perfect for each other. _Who am I to get in the way of true love? _He reasoned.

"So...how's your week been?"

"Oh, it started out pretty bad. Locked my keys in the car like, three times in one week. Then the water got all messed up my apartment. The plumber's on vacation and he won't be back 'til next week. He's the only decent plumber in a fifty mile radius..." Greg had to suppress a smug smile at her "water problem".

"And now?"

"It's been...good." She smiled, lost in her thoughts. Her far away look hadn't escaped Greg's scrutiny, and he smiled. _She likes him._

"So how's life in an apartment without water?" He asked innocently, even though he knew full well where she'd been staying. Sara colored a bit and answered,

"Well, Nick was kind enough to offer up his guest room. It only for a few days! And um..." She was feeling really flustered now.

"Has Nick been a gentleman? Nothing kinky going on right? Hehe." Greg lifted an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Of, of, of c-course!" she sputtered. Sara recovered and looked at Greg strangely. "What's with the interrogation?" Now it was Greg's turn to be flustered.

"Nothing." He said it a bit too quickly. Greg took this as his cue to back down a bit. From what he could see, Sara felt _something_ for Nick at least. That was a start. _Sweet._

* * *

Meanwhile, at Nick and Warrick's crime scene, the two CSIs were having a surprisingly candid conversation about Sara. 

"So she's staying over?"

"Yeah...water's all messed up..." Nick trailed off. Warrick stuck a fiber into a bindle and looked up at Nick.

"Why do you sound all wistful?"

"You know how I feel about Sara."

"You're crazy about her."

"I knowwwww." Nick moaned miserably. Warrick furrowed his brow.

"Then what's wrong?"

"It's just, whenever I feel that our relationship was kind of moving over into romantic territory, she kinda backs down. I'm probably doing something wrong."

"Nick man, Sara's really sensitive and a little unsure of herself, you've just got to keep your patience. Believe me, things will definitely be improving. Just be you." Nick nodded, unconvinced. He didn't see the playful shine in Warrick's eyes.

* * *

TBC...Reviews, of course, are always welcome! They make me write better...heehee. 


	7. Chapter 7 Calling In Favors

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or its characters. But if I did, Sara and Nick would SO be getting together...

Author's Note: This one's a bit short, I'm having trouble deciding how the "Plan" is going to proceed. I'll figure it out though, just hang with me and keep reviewing! I don't need food or water if I have reviews...really. : )

* * *

Nick and Warrick solved their breaking and entering that very night; the perpetrator was the stereotypical jealous boyfriend. Despite the light workload, Nick was still looking frustrated and hurt as he walked into the parking lot. He bade Warrick good-bye and drove off, Sara still had some evidence to file. She'd told him that she would probably be done in a hour. Warrick saw his expression and noticed Sara's aloofness. He sighed. _Catherine's Big Plan better work._ He picked up his cell phone and called Catherine, it was time to modify their game plan.

Catherine, Warrick, and Greg met in the breakroom. They kept their eyes open, Sara was still in the lab. Greg related his findings to Catherine, she frowned a bit.

"So, she blushed when you mentioned Nick?"

"Totally. I'm telling you Catherine, she likes him." Greg announced. Catherine was deep in thought. She spoke up suddenly.

"Wonderful. I'll explain what I have in mind. You each have an important part, which will require you guys calling in some favors, especially Warrick." The guys looked intrigued as they leaned closer.

"And, we're going to have to involve another lab member, we'll need his help." Greg suddenly looked panicked.

"It's not Hodges or Ecklie is it!" Greg blurted out anxiously. Catherine snorted derisively.

"Do I look like a stupid woman? No it's not Ecklie or Hodges, God forbid. We need Grissom."

"And who's going to ask him? Not me!" Greg declared. Warrick gave Catherine the "Hey-don't-look-at-me" shrug. Catherine sighed.

"I am."

* * *

An hour later,they were back at their respective houses making frantic phone calls.

"Hey Reggie!"

"Warrick Brown! Haven't heard from you in ages. Still got that fancy scientist job?"

"Yeah, it's great to hear your voice Reggie."

"Same here Bro, how you been?"

"Good, great. But I need a favor."

"Anything man."

"You still own that little restaurant across from the Tangiers?"

"Sure I do. Business has been booming."

"Well, can we arrange to have the whole place empty on... Thursday? You know like, close it early or something?"

"Definitely...you taking one of your girlfriends for a special date or something?"

"Oh no, it's not for me...my friends. I've set them up. They're been flirting for years, they just need a nudge in the right direction, if you know what I mean!"

"Haha, alright. Thursday. You got it. You need special wines or anything?"

"Ooo, yeah. That sounds good, read me your wine list..."

* * *

"Hey, Auntie Lisbet..."

"Little Gregers! Your Auntie Lisbet hasn't heard from you in ages!" _Yeah, and she still talks in the third person..._

"Yeah, Auntie, do you still own that formal dress shop, or did you close it?"

"Oh no, your Auntie Lisbet could never part with her very first business! Besides, prom season is coming up. A very lucrative time for us!"

"That's great Auntie Lisbet, I was wondering...Maybe your could do your Little Gregory... er... _Gregers_ a favor?"

"Ohhh, Auntie Lisbet will do anything for her favorite nephew!"

"Well, I was looking through your catalogs, and I saw item 6B..."

"Red silk. Scalloped hem. V-neck. Knee length."

"Yeah that's the one Auntie, and also item 4C, the suit?"

"Yes yes. Charcoal jacket and pants. White shirt with button down collar... "

"Could you mail them to me sometime soon? Preferably before Thursday... I need them for some friends, and I'm just a little short on cash right now... And some accessories too, earrings or something, to match the dress?"

"Consider it done. No worries Gregers, your Auntie Lisbet would never _charge _you for anything from the store. Now, you will have them by Tuesday, how does that sound?"

"Great Auntie Lisbet...Oh yeah. Have the dress in a size four and I'll call you with the measurements for the tuxedo tomorrow."

"Sure sure."

"Bye Auntie, love you."

* * *

"Hey Griss."

"Catherine?"

"Yeah, it's me. Look, I need your help with something."

"I'm all ears Catherine."

"I know you're not incredibly observant on developing relationships within your shift and all..you know...with your non-existent social life, and the fact that you're not a people person..."

"Catherine, do you need a favor, or did you want to insult me?" Grissom was amused and curious. Catherine stopped babbling immediately and sounded contrite.

"I'm sorry Gil, I got carried away."

"It's not a problem, I'm intrigued actually, please go on."

"Ok, so Warrick, and myself, and Greg have been planning to get Sara and Nick together. Even you can see that they're suited for one another!"

"Hmmm."

"I take that as a yes. Anyway, we really want this to work out for them. They're too shy to do anything on their own, they need a bit of..eh...coercing from us."

"Hmmm."

"I'll explain the whole story to you later on, its rather complicated. The main thing is, we need your cooperation."

"You have it."

"Excellent..."

* * *

Nick got home completely exhausted and still emotionally lost as to how he should approach Sara. He figured a shower couldn't hurt, and padded into the bathroom. The hot water came down and Nick submerged himself with thoughts of Sara.

Sara underestimated the time it would take to file away all her evidence. She was tired and grouchy; she'd gotten blood on her favorite pants. She was also a bit apprehensive about being so close to Nick. They were friendly with each other the whole day, but Sara could see that Nick was sort of avoiding her. _My fault...if I weren't so anti- social..._ Sometimes, she could swear her people skills were even worse than Grissom's. Sara wanted a relationship, one that would last and provide her with the love and comfort she'd never really gotten her entire life. But she was a coward sometimes, afraid to take the plunge. _But love is about risks_, her heart told her. She had to decide if Nick was what she wanted. She pulled out of the parking lot slowly, her mind consumed with Nick.

* * *

TBC- Planning for the "Big Plan" is a success! Wahoo. 


	8. Chapter 8 The Crime Scene

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or its associated characters...etc.

Author's Note: This is the longest chapter yet! Amazing what you can do when reviews are fueling you, (hint, hint). Anyway, thanks once again to my faithful reviewers, it makes me so happy when I get such flattering responses. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, I spent an awful lot of time on it.

* * *

Sara trudged wearily up the steps to Nicks apartment. She pulled out the spare key Nick had given her and unlocked the door. "Hey Nick, it's me." She announced. The sound of the shower told her where Nick was. She dropped her things into the guest bedroom and took out her "lounging" clothes. She needed a shower too, and she also needed to figure out how to get that blood off her pants. She pulled the pants out of her bag and rubbed at the blood furiously with a moist towelette.

Nick stepped out of the bathroom to find Sara perched on the edge of the couch. She had a handful of shredded towelette and looked resigned. He had seen her frantic rubbing and almost laughed. "You trying to start a fire or something?" Nick chuckled. Sara gave him her best glare but failed miserably, she loved it when Nick teased her.

"No. I'm not trying to start a fire. I got blood on my pants, and it won't come off."

"Sara. Use cold water! You know what, just give them to me. I'll have the blood out in a jiffy."

"Nick, I had no idea you were so domestic." Sara was impressed and just a little amused. Nick shrugged.

"Growing up in a family with six kids...you learn some things." he grinned. Sara suddenly looked serious. She got up off the couch and touched Nick's arm gently.

"Thanks...for everything." She bit her lip and hesitated. Then, throwing caution to the wind, she brushed a soft kiss onto his lips. Without looking at Nick, she rushed into the bathroom, her face redder than the ripest of tomatoes. Nick felt like his heart was about to burst. A smile spread over his face. It was so big it actually hurt. He felt giddy with excitement, like he won the lottery, only better. Nick grabbed his coat and shouted to Sara.

"I'm gonna go get some groceries OK? I'll be back in fifteen minutes." He didn't wait for an answer and hurried out the door. When he got to the car he sped off in his Tahoe. Unable to contain his emotions any longer, he rolled down a window and shouted at some nearby cars and passerby. "SHE KISSED ME! SARA KISSED ME! WAHOOOOOOOOO!" The elderly couple looked at him strangely, but smiled. _Young love. _They thought tenderly. A group of skateboarders gave him the finger, but he had already driven off, still thinking about Sara. He wasn't the least bit embarrassed about his public display, because right then, he realized that he was falling in love with her.

* * *

Sara was having a mild panic attack in the shower. _What the hell was I thinking!_ It was completely irrational behavior, totally spontaneous. But... so utterly **right**! She smiled when she remembered the kiss, he had been so surprised, and truth be told, she had she. Somehow, at that very moment, her heart had finally regained control and showed Nick how she felt in the simplest way possible. She laughed out loud. _I think I might just be falling for Nick!_ Sara weighed her emotions against her fears and decided that she was ready to take the plunge.

* * *

Nick got home right as Sara was coming out of the bathroom. Sara looked nervous, and so did he. He dropped the bag of groceries on the table. Nick cleared his throat an stared at his feet. 

"So, um...I was thinking we could make pasta. I got marinara, so no meat sauce to worry about. And Forensic Files is on today, so maybe we can watch that..." When Nick got nervous, he sure could ramble up a storm. Sara felt a little disappointed. _I guess he wasn't as excited about the kiss as I was. I'm such an idiot._ _It was just a harmless kiss, nothing important._

Nick was getting continually more apprehensive, it looked as if Sara had totally forgotten about the kiss. Even if it was just a peck on the lips...it meant something...right? I_ was getting worked up over nothing...she's not ready yet._ Both walked over to the kitchen and began to unpack the groceries. They kept up their usual banter, but their emotions were in turmoil.

_I want this relationship to work so badly. Why won't she let me in?_

_I'm ready now! I really am! I think... But why didn't Nick say anything?

* * *

_

Thursday rolled around pretty quickly. Warrick, Catherine and Greg were huddled in the break room that very day, talking in hushed voices. Grissom appeared at the door, and Catherine motioned frantically for him to get in and to shut the door. Catherine took charge.

"Ok, so everyone's finished their cases?" She looked around for confirmation. Greg and Warrick nodded enthusiastically. They had worked incredibly hard to wrap up their cases. They needed all their time for this. Catherine murmured her approval and turned to Warrick.

"Warrick, have you got the restaurant all sorted out?"

"Yup. It's perfect. Reggie said we could get over there early to set everything up."

"Nice. Greg, you got all the clothes?"

"Oh yeah, and the dress I picked out for Sara...HOTTT." Catherine sighed and chuckled.

"Are you sure you got the right size suitfor Nick?" She asked. Greg smiled and almost laughed out loud when he remembered what had happened when he tried to get Nick's measurements.

**.:Flash Back:.**

Nick sat in the breakroom with his latest assignment, poring over photos from the crime scene. Greg sauntered in cheerily. Almost too cheerily. He plopped himself down next to Nick and pulled out his crossword puzzle. Nick glanced sideways at him and returned to his files. Greg cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable. _How the hell am I supposed to ask Nick about measurements? "Oh Nicky, I saw this suit that you would look so handsome in, let me know your measurements Dahling..." Oh God._ He had a tape measure tucked into his pocket as a last resort, if he couldn't get those measurements verbally, he'd have to do it the old fashioned way. _The lengths to which I will go for my friends..._ He cleared his throat again.

"Greg, do you need a cough drop?" Nick looked annoyed and amused at the same time.

"Eh, no, I'm good. Um, you know that suit you wore to court last week?"

"Yeah?"

"It was pretty spiffy." _Spiffy?_ Greg mentally slapped himself. "Anyway, I need a good suit, for next week."

"Why?"

"Um, my cousin's friend's girlfriend's brother is having a Bar Mitzvah."

"Ooook...?"

"So, can I borrow it?"

"I think it's a bit big for you..."

"Oh really? So...whatsizeisit?

"Huh?"

"What size is it? You know, I've never truly known my exact clothing size, and I've never really gotten myself fitted properly, you know with t-shirts it's one size fits all... and if I knew your size I could do a comparison and kinda..."

"Greg, it's still in the locker room right now, just go take a look. Now shut up and leave me alone. You're sort of freaking me out."

"How about shoe size?"

"Greg, have you been sniffing the Luminol or something?" Nick's attention was completely on Greg now. Greg looked uneasy. His fingers fumbled with his pencil and it dropped under the table. He got on his hands and knees to get it and found himself face to face with Nick's shoes. He was struck with inspiration. As quickly as possible he whipped out the tape measure and measured Nick's foot.

"Greg, what the hell are you doing down there?" Nick bent down to take a look. Greg shoved the tape measure down his pants and sprung up, hitting his head on the bottom of the table.

"Hehe, here's the pencil." He said unnecessarily, holding it up for emphasis. "Tricky little blighter...I'll go now...hehe." Greg ran from the breakroom, rubbing his aching head, leaving a confused Nick behind.

Greg was tallying up the measurements in his head. _Hmmmm, that's about eleven and a half inches...makes him a size twelve and a half. _

**.:End Flashback:.**

The suit had been in Nick's locker just as he said. Greg just grabbed the whole thing and sent it to Auntie Lisbet, hopefully Nick wouldn't be missing it anytime soon. Catherine grabbed the bags and unzipped each of them. She fingered the fabric of the charcoal gray suit and whistled in admiration of the superior quality of the fabric. When she saw the dress her eyes widened.

"Nick is gonna have some real eye candy today! Never knew you had such good taste in clothing Greg! This is just wonderful, really wonderful! Gris?"

"I called in Nick and Sara, we have about an hour to set everything up now." Grissom replied. Greg looked confused.

"But it's their day off!" Greg hissed nervously. Catherine laughed.

"Why do you think we needed Grissom? Who gave them their day off on the same day? Who made a valid excuse to call them in on their day off?"

"Oh." Catherine glanced at her watch.

"Ok. We gotta go set up now. Move out!" The four CSIs trooped out the door.

* * *

They arrived at the restaurant ten minutes later. They all piled out of their cars and walked into the restaurant. It was then that Warrick noticed a large bag that Catherine had pulled out of the trunk of her car. 

"What's that?"

"Some things to set the mood." Warrick didn't question her further. Catherine motioned to her companions.

"Ok. Warrick and Greg, you're with me. We're setting up some decorations. Grissom, you know what to do." Grissom nodded and set down his kit. He drew out a roll of yellow police tape and a jar of what looked suspiciously like blood. Greg saw the jar and and pointed at it.

"What do we need blood for?"

"Fake crime scene." Grissom said without looking up. He took a small pipette and dipped into the jar, which actually contained real blood, one of his experiments. Luckily, it didn't smell too bad. _That would have ruined the romantic atmosphere. _He mused. Grissom paused in front of the restrooms. He grasped the pipette and strategically dripped trails of blood from both doors. He stood back to admire his handiwork. Greg emerged from the Men's room, where he had placed the dress bag containing Nick's suit, and headed to the Women's room, to set up Sara's clothing. Grissom pointed to his blood spatter. "Watch the blood Greg! It has to look convincing!" Greg stepped carefully over the blood and grinned.

"Nice work Gris." Grissom grinned smugly and grabbed the police tape. After securing the bright yellow tape around the outside of the restaurant, he went back inside to see how Catherine and Warrick were faring. They had festooned the walls of the restaurant in bunches of white christmas lights. Catherine was busily attaching a timer and looking at her watch.

"Ok...I'll set it for 8:00, that should be good." She looked up and clapped her hands.

"Everything ready?" She smiled and motioned to the kitchen area. "We can watch from there..."

The four CSIs grinned and hid behind the doors, all the chefs were looking at them curiously, but they didn't care one bit. No way were they missing a moment of this.

* * *

Nick and Sara had been enjoyed a Forensics Files marathon when Nick's phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and when he heard Grissom's voice on the other end, he sighed. 

"Gris needs you and me to come in. Double homicide at some restaurant across from the Tangiers. I told him to give us an hour to get there, he said there was no rush..." He told Sara apologetically. Sara pulled herself up and stretched.

"Let's go..."

* * *

The arrived at the "crime scene" forty minutes later. Nick stepped over the police tape secured around the perimeter and grabbed Sara's hand to help her over. They stepped into the restaurant. It was almost pitch black. 

Catherine had turned off all the lights and instructed the chefs to turn off the kitchen lights as well. They were done cooking anyway. The kitchen staff had been reluctant to follow her orders but she glared at them furiously. The head chef meekly obeyed; no one could defy the "Catherine death stare." Now the entire kitchen staff, as well as the four CSIs, were huddled behind the big swinging kitchen doors. A tuft of brown hair and a pair of curious eyes appeared at one of the tiny windows. "They're here!" Greg squeaked. Warrick grabbed him by his collar and jerked him down. "Shhhhh!" The group looked on in silence through the tiny crack between the doors. This was going to be so good!

* * *

TBC...OOOO, cliff hanger! 


	9. Chapter 9 Falling In Love?

Disclaimer: CSI is not mine...and so on

Author's Note: This is the final stretch! I'm seeing maybe one or two more chapters. If you guys would like a sequel, let me know and I'll be glad to oblige! I've got some ideas floating around. : )

If you find this chapter somewhat corny...forgive me, hehe. I was listening to country music, Rascal Flatts to be exact.You wouldn't believe the effect that kind of music has on my writing.

* * *

Nick and Sara walked in a few feet. Sara spotted the blood immediately and grabbed Nick's arm. 

"There, you see that blood spatter?"

"Yeah, looks like its leading into the restrooms."

"Let's take a look." Nick disappeared into the men's room, Sara into the Ladies', just as expected.

Nick set down his kit and pulled on some gloves. He could see a dark shape hanging from the stall. _Could be a body. _He stepped over to it and noticed a bright orange Post-It sticking to the surface. He picked up a pair of tweezers and plucked the note off, his eyes bulged when he read what was on it.

_Nick,_

_Guess who? Nick man, it's about time you made a move on Sara. Today would probably be the best day, since we've set up a date for you guys and all... This is your suit, you better put it on right now. And under the sink there's a bouquet of roses for Sara. This is not a joke, change now. Good luck Nick!_

_Love,_

_Warrick, Catherine, Greg, and Grissom _

_P.S. In case you're curious, we set up EVERYTHING. We'll explain later._

Nick shook his head, he was obviously hallucinating. But when he opened his eyes, the note was still in his hand and the suit was still hanging in from of him. Feeling crazy, he began pulling off his shirt, switching it with the crisp white one in the bag.

* * *

Sara walked slowly into the bathroom and noticed a dark shape hanging from the stall door. She approached it and pulled her gloved out of her kit. She slipped them on and then noticed something orange on the surface of the shape. _So the killer left a note on the body. _She thought. She grabbed the note and read it. Sara almost got a heart attack when she was done. 

_Sara,_

_You're very shocked right now. I know, but you have to pull yourself together. This is a dress, not a corpse. You are going to put it on, and put on the earrings taped under the sink. Your shoes are at the bottom of the bag. We've set up a date for you and Nick, it's time to face your feelings Sara, you can do it Honey. Let go, put on the dress and stop analyzing everything ._

_Love,_

_Catherine, Greg, Warrick, and Grissom_

Sara stood there, completely immobilized. Not knowing exactly what she was doing, she pulled the dress out of the bag. Red silk, and absolutely gorgeous. _I may be crazy._ She told herself, but_ I'm going to take a chance.

* * *

_

Both emerged from the bathrooms at nearly the same time. They gaped at each other. Nick had never looked so debonair, so utterly handsome and charming. The charcoal suit set of his eyes and broad shoulders. He clutched a huge bouquet of roses. Sara could barely breath.

Nick could swear he heard his jaw hit the floor. Sara looked like something out of one of his dreams. Her dress accentuated her slim figure and the shiny red heels made her legs look a mile long. Sleek gold earrings glimmered in at her ears and her hair was pulled up with a glittering gold clip. She smiled shyly. Nick paused enough to stop staring and realized he still had the roses in his grasp. He thrust them stiffly at Sara.

"Here, these are for you." Sara took them and smiled. Nick was still somewhat speechless, but as he watched the smile spread across her features he couldn't help but blurt out, "You look so gorgeous." Sara nervously fingered the strap of her dress.

"Really?"

"Never seen anyone look more beautiful."

At that moment, the timer clicked on. Thousands of Christmas lights glinted from the walls and illuminated the small table set for two at the center of the restaurant.

"I'm going to have a talk with the gang...this is just..." Sara trailed off breathlessly. Nick pulled her toward him a bit and asked softly.

"Are you angry...or happy? Because I think this is probably the best idea they've ever had."

"Nick...I- I'm really, really happy!" They were lost in each other's gaze. Slowly, their lips drew closer. They both sighed as they met in the middle. One perfect kiss, with all of their emotions poured into it. They had certainly waited a long time. Sara wrapped her hand around Nick's neck. Nick cupped her face in his hands and focused on her amazingly responsive lips. Never had he imagined kissing Sara would be like this. When they finally resurfaced, their heads snapped up at the sound of applause breaking out from the kitchen. The entire kitchen staff with Catherine, Greg, Warrick, and Grissom standing out front had emerged from the inner recesses of the kitchen. Greg whooped and Catherine actually looked tearful with unabashed joy. Warrick beamed and Grissom just looked uncomfortable, but in a happy way. Sara blushed to match her dress and looked at the floor. Nick just wrapped a possessive arm around her and smiled his widest. Catherine walked to Nick and Sara. Unexpectedly, she hugged them both fiercely.

"Took you guys long enough!" She cried. "We'll leave you alone now...we can talk later, after your date." The gang filed out. Greg gave both Sara and Nick a big hug. Holding Sara a bit longer he whispered,

"If he hurts you I'll kick his ass." He waggled his eyebrows and whistled appreciatively. "And you look so hot in that dress." With that, Greg proceeded out the door. Sara laughed and blushed once again. Warrick winked at both of them and whispered something in Nick's ear. Nick flushed and nodded. Somehow, Grissom had managed to sneak out unnoticed.

Sara and Nick turned toward the table. Nick pulled out Sara's chair and they settled themselves comfortably. There was an excellent bottle of Port waiting on the table. Nick poured Sara and glass and then filled his own. "To new beginnings..." He started.

"And our old friends." Sara finished grinning. Nick reached over and grasped Sara's hand.

"Sara." He began nervously. "These past days have been the best of my life, because I've gotten the chance to spend time with a beautiful, intelligent, amazing woman. I've felt this way for a long time, and I've tried to deny it, but...I think I'm falling in love with you." He looked straight into her eyes with desperation. _Please tell me you feel the same way._ His expression pleaded. Sara gazed at him. She felt such tenderness and love for him that it was as if she was overflowing with it. In reply, she reached out and cupped his face.

"Nick, I haven't had an easy life. I have so many demons that haunt me and insecurities about everything. Over the last few days I've realized that I need to face my problems and to make a choice about how my life is going to be from now on. I want you Nick. I want to be with you, and burn fish with you, and talk with you, and everything in between. In the space of a few days you've given me more love and attention than I've gotten my whole life. And the fact that you want a stressed out, workaholic, vegetarian CSI with a bad temper to have a relationship with you...it means the world to me. I've already fallen for you."

Sara finished her pseudo-speech with a tremor in her voice. Nick's eyes were wet with tears. He leaned over and kissed her with all the emotion and love he couldn't convey in speech. For the first time in her entire life, Sara was truly happy.

* * *

Catherine and the crew were back at CSI, half-heartedly sorting through case files. Each one was secretly thinking about Sara and Nick. What they had hoped to be just a simple date had suddenly turned into much more. They had underestimated the depth of Sara and Nick's feelings for each other. When they saw finally saw them kiss, with all the emotion emanating from them, they realized that they were **in love, **and each felt extreme satisfaction that they had played a part in their relationship. Catherine smiled unconsciously and wondered how the date was going. Undoubtedly they had a lot of things to say to each other. 

Greg sat in the lab. For once there was no raucous music blaring from his oversized speakers. He sat on his rolling chair in deep contemplation, a satisfied smile on his face. Never before had he witnessed a scene quite as romantic as Sara and Nick's first kiss. He had expected to feel somewhat jealous, but somehow all he felt happiness for both of them. _Will I ever experience this kind of feeling? _He wondered. Smiling, he pulled out his bag of Blue Hawaiian from a secret compartment in the cushion of his chair. _This calls for some celebration, break out the caffeine._

Warrick picked through his box of evidence bags without really looking at them. He had a great dopey smile on his face, his man Nick and his best girl Sara had finally gotten together. A match made in heaven. He couldn't wait for them to tell him, and the gang, all about it. He mused, _even Grissom was beaming. I've gotta thank Reggie...I'll send him a fruit basket or something._

Grissom was hunkered in his office "doing paperwork". He had his glasses off and leaned back in his chair. He thought about Sara and Nick, together. It was obvious that he'd missed his chance with Sara, but that was the past. He knew he would never had made Sara even a fraction as happy as Nick made her. He wished them the best of luck, really. They looked so right with each other. With a world weary sigh he stood up and walked out of his office, he needed some coffee.

* * *

TBC...Possibly only one more chapter, I have to see how this all plays out. Send me requests for a sequel (ideas for the sequel are welcome as well)! Thanks to all the reviewers, all that positive feedback has been wonderfully motivating! 


	10. Chapter 10 Tie Up The Loose Ends

Disclaimer: Still don't own CSI, and I never will. Too bad.

Author's note: This is it! The final chapter, thanks to everyonefor sticking with me and SORRY for not updating sooner. Enjoy and review!

* * *

Sara and Nick pulled away from each other slowly. Sara smiled shyly and twiddled her fingers. Nick reached over the table and pulled her slender hand into his own large one. The love in his eyes was unobscured, and Sara mirrored his emotions. 

"So, does this mean you're my boyfriend?" Sara laughed lightly.

"Well, I intend to take you out on a date first."

"What? This doesn't count?"

"Let me clarify. I want to take you out on a date that is my idea. What do you say?"

"I say yes." They kissed again. For a relationship long in the making, they sure made up for lost time. The dinner courses and dessert came and went. They were delicious, but Sara and Nick couldn't taste them. They were enthralled by each other's presence. Never before did they realize how they loved spending time with one another. After thanking the waiters and cooks profusely, they gathered up their things and made their way to their Tahoes. They left the restaurant hand in hand. Instead of looking like new lovers; insecure, unsure, they had the appearance of old lovers that had been reacquainted. It was plain that they were comfortable with one another. So comfortable in fact, that Sara looked slightly downcast as she approached her vehicle. Nick sensed this almost immediately.

"Sara, let's take my car. We can pick yours up before work tomorrow." He smiled and opened the passenger side door for Sara. She got in slowly and paused for a moment. A slender hand brushed away a stray lock of hair on Nick's forehead. Her voice was husky.

"You know I can't bear to spend a single moment away from you Mr. Stokes." Nick beamed down at her.

Finally. They both thought together.

Nick drove smoothly, stealing looks at Sara now and then. _God she looks beautiful._ Sara glanced back at him, trying not to blush. It was then that she noticed the direction of his driving.

"Uh, Nick. Where are we going? We passed your street." Sara was puzzled. Nick had a gleam in his eye.

"We're going to the lab first. If my intuition is correct, everybody's hanging around just dying for details of our "date"."

"You know, I really want to know how they fixed everything..."

"Me too."

"What are we going to tell them?"

"Are we going to be in a relationship? I really want that."

"Me too. I think that'll be good enough for everyone."

"I know this might be a little fast for you, but hear me out."

"Ok."

"I've gotten really accustomed to you living in my apartment and everything. I've never felt so comfortable around someone, and I was wondering if maybe you'd want to move in someday...soon."

"How does today sound to you?"

"Really?"

"Sure, I was thinking the same thing. There's an old lady who was interested in getting a nice room in my building, or I could rent it out. I wanted to ask you about it, but I was a little embarrassed."

"We'll just tell the gang that your plumber moved to Florida."

"Good idea." They laughed and Nick pulled into the parking lot. Time for some answers...and some questions, undoubtedly.

* * *

Catherine sat in her office listlessly, stirring her gloopy coffee with a half chewed straw. She got up and decided to walk around a bit, she needed to get her butt out of the chair and do something productive. As she turned a corner she saw Nick and Sara, still in their evening finery, walking through the door. 

"Oh my God! You're back!" Nick and Sara nodded in unison. Somehow, perhaps they had radar tracking, Greg and Warrick popped out of the DNA lab just in time to find Catherine screaming.

"Whoa you're back!"

"How was it?" Sara pointed ahead of her,

"Let's go to the break room?"

They all piled into the break room and shut the door. Each of them was just bursting with questions, but they allowed Catherine to go first.

"So how was it? You're not mad at us are you?" Catherine leaned forward anxiously. Sara smiled and pulled everyone into a group hug.

"It's the best idea you three could ever come up with." Greg smirked and tapped Sara on the shoulder.

"So, do I get a kiss for being so devious?" He pointed to his cheek expectantly. Nick pulled Sara against him.

"In your dreams Greg." They all seated themselves around the table. Nick drummed his fingered on the tabletop and spoke up suddenly.

"Ok, in your note you said you set up EVERYTHING, I think you have some explaining to do!" Warrick and Catherine looked at each other. Where to begin?

"Well...Sara, remember the beginning of last week, how you were always in a horrible mood?"

"Of course! Wouldn't you be in a bad mood if you locked your keys in the car three times in one week?"

"Two times." Catherine countered automatically.

"No, I remember it being three. The third time was when there was that rainstorm and I gave Nick a ride home..."

"Ok, let me put it this way. _You _locked your keys in the car twice, _I_ did it the second time." Catherine held her breath and waited for the fury. Sara looked puzzled, and then an expression of understanding dawned on her face.

"That time in the locker room! You were being so awkward...that was when you took my keys wasn't it!" Catherine stifled a laugh and looked pointedly at Warrick. He appeared to be a tiny bit guilty.

"Ah, that would be me. I was hiding in the storage closet and I snitched them when you were looking the other way." Sara burst out laughing. She cackled and almost toppled out of her seat, her face becoming a shade of red akin to a fire engine.

"P-ppriceless! Hahaha...haha...haha..." Nick was thumping her on the back and chuckling along with her.

"Ok, so you guys locked Sara's keys in the car, then what?"

"Well, Warrick and I flattened your tire..."

"You WHAT?"

"Box cutters...hehe...really sharp ones."

"Do you know how much that tire cost to replace?"

"Warrick will reimburse you for it." Catherine informed Nick.

"Uh uh..no way, it was your idea too!" Warrick argued vehemently. Catherine shrugged her shoulders in consent.

"Ok, fine, Greg will do it."

"Hey! I wasn't even in on the plan at that point! Catherine grinned wickedly.

"Lab techs have bigger paychecks." Greg frowned and sulked in his chair. Sara patted his spiky head playfully and cut in.

"So when did _you_ get involved in the plan?" Greg perked up and draped his arm casually across Sara's shoulders. Nick shot him a glare and he desisted. Clearing his throat, he related to them the story of how Sara's plumbing was "fixed". Sara was amused and irate at the same time.

"You were in my apartment! Did you see anything?"

"Eh, well, that depends on what you want me to see..." He winked at her suggestively. Sara grinned, and leaned back in the chair. This story was going to be a long one. Catherine and Warrick took over the storytelling, with Greg occasionally making a snide comment, and Nick or Sara cutting in for clarification. Nick was appalled when he found out that Greg had taken his suit and sent it to his Auntie Lisbet.

"You just sent the whole thing to your Aunt! Am I ever going to get it back?"

"Eventually." Nick sighed. The fine tale ended with their "date" at the "crime scene". Everyone stretched. Sara and Nick were both impressed with the extensive planning the plan had required. The gang seemed to have adjusted remarkably quickly to the idea of Sara and Nick being a serious couple. Of course, Greg would probably never stop flirting with Sara, it had become a habit for him. Sara smiled again and reminded herself how lucky she was to have Nick. She squeezed his hand and he looked over at her with a broad grin. _I'm the luckiest man in the world_. His expression said it as clearly as his mouth would have.

They were all bunched up in the doorway, just about to leave when Sara suddenly noticed something.

"Hey, Grissom wasn't here, he was in on it too right?" Catherine looked surprised for a second.

"Hmm, he's probably busy. We'll fill him in on how your date went later. The five CSIs strode out the door and headed toward their cars. It had been a long, but satisfying shift. None of them noticed Grissom standing beside the door. _Forget about her, tend to your bugs_. He told himself. Grissom stole another glance at Sara's retreating form. Her red dress fluttered teasingly and her hand was delicately hooked into the crook of Nick's arm. She was like some rare, elusive breed of butterfly. Ethereal, and now, unattainable. Sara was someone else's butterfly now.

* * *

Sara and Nick piled into the Tahoe along with their garment bags and kits. They sat still for just a moment, savoring each others' presence. Nick reached over and grabbed Sara's hand, he loved touching her. 

"You know, I'll never get mad again if I get a flat tire."

"And I won't get angry if I lock my keys in the car."

"Thank God for car trouble and our sneaky little friends."

"Amen to that Nicky." They drove away, still hand in hand. It was the beginning of something special, they could just feel it.

**The End**

* * *

Review, review, review! It's been great sharing this story with you all! Thanks to all who read and reveiwed this story, your encouragement kept me going. Check back for the sequel (I'm definitely doing one, it's all planned out) and other stories. 

Sequel coming soon!

Try Again?

Summary: "Nick is ready to pop the question, but why does he keep getting interrupted?


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